Bioactive compositions comprising ficus serum fraction and methods to reduce the appearance of skin hyperpigmentation

Abstract

The present invention provides bioactive compositions comprising Ficus serum fraction derived from Ficus cell juice of fresh Ficus leaves and a process of preparing the Ficus serum fraction. The compositions have biological activity capable of reducing skin hyperpigmentation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition derived from fresh  Ficus  leaf juice, wherein said composition is  Ficus  Serum Fraction. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said  Ficus  cell serum fraction is produced by the process comprising:
 a. separating  ficus  cell juice from clean, fresh, un-wilted  ficus  leaves to obtain fresh  ficus  cell juice, wherein no exogenous liquid is added prior or during said separating;   b. filtering said fresh  ficus  cell juice to obtain fiber-free cell juice; and   c. fractionating said fiber-free cell juice to obtain  Ficus  Serum Fraction, wherein said fractionating comprises:
 (1) removing chlorophyll from said fiber-free cell juice to obtain Supernatant I; 
 (2) removing pigments and proteins from Supernatant I to form  Ficus  Serum Fraction; and 
 (3) optionally adding stabilizer to said  Ficus  Serum Fraction. 
   
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein said removing pigments and proteins from Supernatant I comprises:
 i. adjusting the pH of Supernatant I to about 7.5 to form pH-adjusted Supernatant I;   ii. separating pH-adjusted Supernatant I into Precipitate II and Supernatant II;   iii. adjusting the pH of Supernatant II to about 3.6 to form pH adjusted Supernatant II;   iv. separating pH-adjusted Supernatant II into Precipitate III and  Ficus  Serum Fraction.   
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein said wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, chelating agents, preservatives, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of sodium metabisulfite, postassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium methyl paraben, pentylene glycol, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein said composition is stable at room temperature for at least 6 months. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein said composition is stable at room temperature for at least 12 months. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said composition is stable at room temperature for at least 24 months. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein said  Ficus  leaves are selected from the group of  Ficus  species consisting of  F. benghalensis, F. carica, F. elastica, F. microcarpa, F. trigonata , and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 9 , wherein said  Ficus  serum fraction is substantially free of pheophorbides. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein said  Ficus  serum fraction is substantially free of proteins as measured by the Kjeldahl method. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein said  Ficus  Serum Fraction is water soluble. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein said  Ficus  Serum Fraction is has a Gardner color value of less than 8. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein said Gardner color value is less than 7.5. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said  Ficus  Serum Fraction has biological activity capable of reducing skin hyperpigmentation. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein said biological activity is sufficient to disrupt one or more steps in melanogenesis (melanin synthesis). 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said biological activity is sufficient to inhibit melanogensis enzyme activity. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein said enzyme activity is trypsin activity, tyrosinase activity, or both. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said biological activity is sufficient to inhibit elastase activity. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said biological activity is sufficient to inhibit COX-2 activity. 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said biological activity is sufficient to increase anti-oxidant activity, free radical scavenging activity, or both. 
     
     
         22 . A process for making a  Ficus  cell serum fraction composition, said process comprising:
 a. separating  ficus  cell juice from clean, fresh, un-wilted  ficus  leaves to obtain fresh  ficus  cell juice, wherein no exogenous liquid is added prior or during said separating;   b. filtering said fresh  ficus  cell juice to obtain fiber-free cell juice; and   c. fractionating said fiber-free cell juice to obtain  Ficus  Serum Fraction, wherein said fractionating comprises:
 (1) removing chlorophyll from said fiber-free cell juice to obtain Supernatant I; 
 (2) removing pigments and proteins from Supernatant I to form  Ficus  Serum Fraction; and 
 (3) optionally adding stabilizer to said  Ficus  Serum Fraction. 
   
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein said removing pigments and proteins from Supernatant I comprises:
 i. adjusting the pH of Supernatant I to about 7.5 to form pH-adjusted Supernatant I;   ii. separating pH-adjusted Supernatant I into Precipitate II and Supernatant II;   iii. adjusting the pH of Supernatant II to about 3.6 to form pH adjusted Supernatant II;   iv. separating pH-adjusted Supernatant II into Precipitate III and  Ficus  Serum Fraction.   
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 23 , wherein said wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, chelating agents, preservatives, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 24 , wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of sodium metabisulfite, postassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium methyl paraben, pentylene glycol, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 25 , wherein said composition is stable at room temperature for at least 6 months. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein said composition is stable at room temperature for at least 12 months. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein said composition is stable at room temperature for at least 24 months. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein said  Ficus  leaves are selected from the group of  Ficus  species consisting of  F. benghalensis, F. carica, F. elastica, F. microcarpa, F. trigonata , and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein said composition is substantially free of pheophorbides. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein said composition is substantially free of proteins as measured by the Kjeldahl method. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein said composition is water soluble. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein said composition has a Gardner color value of less than 8. 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein said composition has a Gardner color value of less than 7.5.